Nickolas and Liliana Themelis Fellowship in Earth and Environmental Engineering
Teaching
Teaching Assistant for the Departmental Undergraduate Engineering Laboratory. This lab includes gas turbine, wind turbine, bomb calorimetry, and three way catalysis modules.
Teaching Assistant for “Introduction to Alternative Energies”, “A Better Planet by Design”, “Energy, Minerals and Materials”, “Environmental Control and Pollution Reduction Systems”, and “Photovoltaic System Engineering.”
Collaborations
I was a visiting researcher at the GFZ-Potsdam research center for 6 months conducting research on methane hydrate formation and dissociation on a small scale via Raman spectroscopy and Microscopy. Read more about the project here.
Description of Research
My research will continue our investigations into a novel approach to methane recovery from natural gas hydrates while depositing GHG for permanent sequestration. The research project here is to investigate and develop a novel concept of generating a point heat source, via in-situ combustion, strategically located in the hydrate deposit which enables methane production where only about 10% of the energy content that is produced from the reservoir is used for the process. This combustion process is capable of utilizing CO2 as a diluent to adjust adiabatic temperatures to the point where methane hydrates decompose, yet CO2 hydrates still can form and replace methane. The research is conducted in a 72 liter, high pressure vessel capable of simulating the low temperatures and high pressures required for stable methane hydrate production and dissociation.
Publications/Presentations
Fitzgerald, G.C., Castaldi, M.J. “Thermal Stimulation Based Methane Production from Hydrate Bearing Quartz Sediment.” Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 2013. (Abstract)
Fitzgerald, Garrett C., and Castaldi, Marco J. “Thermal stimulation based gas production from hydrate bearing permafrost sands: Hydrate saturation and heating rate effects on production efficiency” Poster Presentation, March 18-23 Gordon Research Conference, Ventura Beach Marriott, Ventura, CA 2012
Fitzgerald, G.C., Krones, J.S., Themelis, N.T. Greenhouse gas impact of dual stream and single stream collection and separation of recyclables. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 2012 69:50-56 (Abstract)
Fitzgerald, G.C., Castaldi, M.J., Zhou, Y. Large scale reactor details and results for the formation and decomposition of methane hydrates via thermal stimulation dissociation. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering. 2012 94–95:19-27 (Abstract)
Fitzgerald, Garrett C., and Castaldi, Marco J. “Methane production via in-situpoint heat source thermal stimulation from gas hydrates” Poster Presentation, June 6-12th Gordon Research Conference, Waterville Maine 2010
Fitzgerald, Garrett C., and Themelis, Nickolas J. Technical and Economic Impacts of Pre-shredding the MSW Feed to Moving Grate WTE Boilers. Proc. of North America Waste-to-Energy Conference, Chantilly Va. ASME
Fitzgerald, Garrett C., and Themelis, Nickolas J. “Pre-Shredding MSW forWaste-to-Energy Grate Boilers: Is it worth the trouble?” Oral Presentation May 20th 2009 NAWTEC 17
Fitzgerald, Garrett C., and Castaldi, Marco J. “Carbon Sequestration and FuelProduction via Methane Hydrates” Oral Presentation, March 3rd 2010 SME Annual Meeting, Coal & Energy: Energy II: Alternative Fuels
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